Lesson 1

December 30 - January 5

The Model Pray-er and the Model Prayer: Christ

Sabbath Afternoon
December 30

HAVE YOU EVER EAVESDROPPED ON A PRIVATE
CONVERSATION? In our lessons this quarter we will listen to urgent
messages from the battle lines to God in His heavenly headquarters as great
saints of the Bible struggle with the forces of evil. Jesus, the greatest
prayer warrior of all, shows us when to pray, how to pray, and for what to
pray. In a hostile world, separated from the glory of heaven and the adoration
of angels, He endured loneliness and torture of soul. His source of strength,
however, was His communication with Headquarters.

What is prayer? It is "the breath of the soul" (Gospel Workers,
p. 254), "the key in the hand of
faith to unlock heaven's storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources
of Omnipotence," and "the opening of the heart to God as to a
Friend."Steps to Christ, pp.
93-95. "Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God as
we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally.
Often there will come to us a sweet joyful sense of the presence of Jesus.
Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us
as He did with Enoch."Christ 's Object Lessons,
p. 129. As you study this week,
ask yourself what prayer has done for you.

MEMORY TEXT: "'So I say to you: Ask and it will
be given to you; seek and you will find: knock and the door will he opened
to you. For everyone who asks receives: he who seeks finds; and to him who
knocks, the door will he opened'
"(Luke
11:9, 10, NIV).

Sunday December 31

Luke
3:21, 22, says that Jesus prayed at the beginning of His public ministry.
What do you think He included in that prayer? What response did He receive?

The Gospels portray Jesus as praying through each stage of His journey to
the cross. Today and tomorrow, we will travel with Him through each of these
stages to see how prayer encouraged Him and to learn how it can do the same
for us.

What do the following texts teach us about Jesus' prayer life and prayer
in general?

The longest of Jesus' recorded prayers, His prayer in
John
17, ends the instruction He gave to His disciples in the upper room and
Gethsemane. Some have said it is the most profound chapter in the Bible.
(See The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1051:1, "These words spake
Jesus.")

"In the opening of his prayer
(vs.
1) and three times later
(vss.
5, 21, 24) Christ calls God Father. . . .

"And that name gives the atmosphere to the whole prayer. Listening, we learn
how natural prayer is, how simply we can turn to God, sure of his interest
in us and his loving kindness toward us; in the happy assurance that he will
certainly do for us all that even God can do, and that gladly and willingly.
Christ spoke to God with open face, as a man to his friend, as a child to
its father, reverently and humbly."The Interpreter's Bible,
vol. 8, p. 742. (We will study this prayer in depth in lesson 11.)

Listen to Jesus as He arises early to pray. Notice the closeness of His
relationship with the Father. How do His prayers encourage you to talk with
the Father as to a close
friend?

Monday January 1

It is now Thursday evening, only hours before Jesus' arrest and trial. Jesus
is eating the Passover meal with His disciples. He warns them that one is
about to betray Him and all would forsake Him
(Luke
22:14-62; see also The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 866:14,
"The hour").

"How true was the Saviour's friendship for Peter! How compassionate His warning!
But the warning was resented. In self-sufficiency Peter declared confidently
that he would never do what Christ had warned him against. . . . His
self-confidence proved his ruin. He tempted Satan to tempt him, and he fell
under the arts of the wily foe."Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA
Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p.
1123:31-34, "Peter Tempted the Devil."

Considering the force of the original Greek, we could say that Satan demands
to have every one of us. He lost heaven and eternal life to gain this world,
and he struggles to charm each of us and fasten us in his grip. Jesus, however,
disputes his claim. He won the right to save every soul
(John
1:29;
Rom.
5:18). Earnestly He prayed for Peter
(Luke
22:31, 32). These prayers gave Peter courage to face the darkest moment
of his life.

We travel on to witness Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Read
Luke
22:39-44. Once again, despite great anguish, we hear Him calling God
His Father, indicating that, even though on the rest of His journey He must
travel through great tumult, He still trusts in the divine plan.

Jesus' prayer in
Luke
22 points out the risk we sometimes take when we pray. If we really are
sincere when we pray, " 'Yet not my will, but yours be done"
(vs.
42, NIV), we must be ready to drink the cup He places in our hands, even
if it is bitter. Remember, however, that just as God sent an angel "not to
take the cup from Christ's hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it," so He
will empower us. (See The Desire of Ages,
p. 693; for further study, read p.
694.)

Jesus' prayer life followed a pattern we all can follow. He met every crisis
in advance through prayer. Before stepping forth to meet His enemies or to
meet an unfair trial, humiliation, torture, and death, He fought the battle
in prayer. He then was able to stride forth calmly as a Victor to meet His
foes..

Why can we say that Jesus' prayer in
Luke
23:34 expresses the sum and substance of Christianity?

Tuesday January 2

Jesus' disciples were deeply moved as they watched Him intercede with God
before ministering to the multitudes each day. They longed to have the same
kind of relationship with God as He did. So they requested, "Lord, teach
us to pray." Jesus responded with "the Lord's Prayer." Read
Luke
11:2-4.

Listed below are phrases from this prayer. What relationship between ourselves
and God does each of these phrases illustrate? The first one is done
for you. (From John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary:
Matthew 1-7 [Winona Lake: Indiana, BMH Books, 1985], p. 374).

The Lord's Prayer has two sections, the first dealing with God's glory, the
second with human needs. Each section has three parts. The first three parts
are petitions in behalf of God's name, His kingdom, and His will. The second
three parts are petitions for food, forgiveness, and protection. (See MacArthur,
p. 373).

"Hallowed be thy name." Though we can be as familiar with God as a child
to a parent, we must also bow in reverence before His awesome majesty. Those
closest to the throne in heaven fall down on their faces before Him
(Rev.
19:4).

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth." We should
long to see the reign of evil come to an end when Jesus will be King of kings
and Lord of lords and take up His great power to reign
(Rev.
11:15-17). "Thy will be done" means first that God's will becomes ours,
and second, that our tortured world will become subject to His will.

Why do you think the first part of the Lord's Prayer deals with God's
glory? Is affirming His power as we begin to pray a way of strengthening
faith in His ability to answer our needs?

Wednesday January
3

The second half of Jesus' model prayer centers on our needs. What does
"our daily bread" mean?
(Matt.
6:11).

Such a request is fitting for much of the world where the task of providing
food for a hungry family is a constant struggle. Our Father hears such cries
for help. More prosperous Christians can help to answer those prayers.

"Daily bread" includes all our human needs, especially a daily supply of
spiritual bread for the soul
(John
6:35).

This request is based on the tradition of forgiving debts during the sabbatical
year
(Deut.
15:1, 2). The sabbatical year of release is a type of the "acceptable
year of the Lord"
(Luke
4:18, 19, NKJV), when Jesus by His grace releases us from our debts by
granting pardon for our sins. Those who have been crushed by overwhelming
debt know the joy of release. We should experience the same relief and gratitude
when Jesus forgives our sins.

In
Matthew
18:23-35, Jesus declared that it is a criminal offense to withhold
forgiveness from a fellow human being. Unwillingness to forgiveresentment,
hatred, a vengeful attitudepoisons the one who harbors it, embittering
the springs of life and producing mental and physical disease. For our own
sake, as well as the wrongdoer's, we should forgive.

Puritan writer, Thomas Manton, said, "There is none so tender to others as
they which have received mercy themselves, for they know how gently God hath
dealt with them."MacArthur, p. 395.

"He who sincerely seeks and entreats forgiveness of sins, longs to be able
to sin no more. So he prays, conscious of his own weakness, that God may
guide his life away from circumstances in which he is exposed to evil
temptations."Norval Geldenhuys, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1951), p. 321.

Most of us have heard or repeated the Lord's Prayer so many times
we hardly consider what it means. To help solve this problem, write
your own prayer, based on the parts of Jesus' model prayer that Tuesday's
lesson mentions. After you have written and prayed your prayer, repeat
the Lord's Prayer.

Luke
11:9. The Greek emphasizes persistence in prayer. "Keep on asking,"
"keep on seeking," "keep on knocking," and your divine Neighbor will open
the door and give you what you need.

How is God pleased when we ask Him to help others?

Why is persistence necessary in prayer? How would it affect us personally
if God gave us everything we asked for, without struggle on our part?

Do some prayers take time for God to answer because He has to overcome human
resistance? Does it ever take time for God to arrange circumstances in our
favor?

Is God really like the reluctant neighbor? Or do we sometimes perceive Him
as a reluctant neighbor?

"Men may sometimes think of God as One who would prefer not to have people
trouble Him, but His true character as a solicitous, loving, and generous
Father is clearly set forth in
vs.
9-13. The reluctance of the friend to arise and supply that which was
needed in no way represents God. . . . Here, the lesson of the parable is
not one of comparison but of contrast."The SDA Bible Commentary,
vol. 5, p. 789:7, "Trouble me not."

What do you say to someone who argues this way: "Why does God need
to hear us pray over and over? If He knows what we need and intends that
we have itwhy doesn't He just give it to us?"

Friday January 5

FURTHER STUDY: On a separate sheet of paper, list the principles
of prayer that you have learned from this week's lesson. Provide a text for
each principle. The following questions can help you organize your list.

"Our Saviour identified Himself with our needs and weaknesses, in that He
became a suppliant, a petitioner, seeking from His Father fresh supplies
of strength, that He might come forth braced for duty and trial. . . . He
found comfort and joy in communion with His Father. And if the Saviour of
men, the Son of God, felt the need of prayer, how much more should feeble,
sinful mortals feel the necessity of fervent, constant prayer."Steps
to Christ, pp. 93, 94.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1.

On many occasions, Jesus warned His disciples of His death and prayed
that they would not fail in the hour of trial. Should we be as concerned
about our readiness to face coming trials, hardships, and tragedies? Explain.
What is the best way to prepare?

2.

Were Jesus' prayers for His disciples answered, or did they all fail
the test? Explain your answer. What about His prayers for Judas?
Will our prayers for the salvation of souls always be effective?

3.

It is hard to be persistent in prayer when the answers appear delayed.
How can one remain persistent?

SUMMARY: Prayer is the power line
between earth and heaven, linking us to the mind and might of God and allowing
us to converse with Him as with a friend. Through a constant connection with
Him, we can face trials, overcome temptation, and share the blessings of
heaven with
others.

The God Who Sends Rain

J. H. Zachary

INDIA-The Meitei people, who live in the hills of northern India, are still
largely unreached with the gospel.

Ranjit Singh and his wife worked for several days to plant 2.500 cabbage
plants in their garden. But as they worked, they noticed that some of the
cabbage plants were beginning to wither. The ground was dry, and there was
no sign of rain. Without rain there would be no harvest, and the family would
face a difficult year.

The Singhs had lost faith in the gods they had called upon throughout their
lives, but they did not know where to turn for help. Which of Hinduism's
300,000 gods would answer their prayers for rain to make their cabbages grow?

Then Mr. Singh recalled hearing someone say that the God of the Christians
was all-powerful. He talked it over with his wife, and they decided to pray
to this unseen God for rain. "If the God of the Christians hears our prayer
and answers, then we will know that He is the true God," Mr. Singh told his
wife. For the first time in their lives the couple poured out their hearts
to God for help.

That night it rained. The next day, the couple stood in amazement when they
realized that the rain had fallen only on their cabbage patch and nowhere
else in the village. Mr. Singh did not hesitate; he set out to learn how
he could become a follower of this powerful God who had answered their prayer.
But his wife hesitated.

Mr. Singh found a Protestant pastor and asked him how he could become a
Christian. The pastor baptized him that day, and Mr. Singh went home happy.
But he did not know what it meant to be a Christian. What should a follower
of God be doing? How should he worship? What did God expect of him?

Some time later Mr. Singh met an Adventist pastor and asked him, "What does
it mean to be a Christian?" Through a series of Bible studies, the pastor
showed the couple what it meant to follow Christ. Both Mr. and Mrs. Singh
were baptized.

The miraculous rainfall did not go unnoticed by others in their village.
Many were deeply impressed and have shown a willingness to learn more about
the God who can control the wind and the rain.

Pray for the Meitei people as they seek God.

J. H. Zachary is coordinator of international evangelism for The Quiet
Hour and a special consultant for the General Conference Ministerial
Association.

Produced by the Office of MissionSabbath School-Personal Ministries Department of the General
ConferenceE-mail:
gomission@gc.adventist.org